Gratuity pay upfront, pay later?

[Paulina56]

Should you pay the upfront gratuity or pay later at check out what's the best way? Going to Alaska on RCCL.

[iheartbda]

There really isn't a best way. Some prefer to pay ahead so they don't have it on their account in the end. Also, On RCCL if you have My Time Dining, you have no choice, you have to prepay. In the end, it amounts to pay me now or pay me later.:)

[travel_nuts]

Pay up front, that's one less thing to pay for at the end of the cruise. And if you decide to, you can " up tip" those that you want to.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Forums mobile app

[Ashland]

If you have any OBC you might want to wait until you're onboard, then this can go towards your gratuities...If not..I find it easier to just prepay..but without MTD the choice is yours.

[paul929207]

We let it be charged to our onboard account and settle that with a credit card. We sail mostly with Princess, so the OBC we get wipes out most of the charges.

[cb at sea]

If your cruiseline doesn't add the tips to you account, then it's customary to tip on the last evening of the cruise. Most cruiselines nowadays add the gratuities to your shipboard account, if you haven't paid them in advance. No matter if you pay upfront or on your account, those who serve you do not get the tips until the cruise is over.

[leaveitallbehind]

Should you pay the upfront gratuity or pay later at check out what's the best way? Going to Alaska on RCCL.

 

Just to clarify, with RCI gratuities are paid in advance if you select the My Time Dining option, so paying at the end is not a choice then. With the standard dining options (early / late seating), while actually settled at the end with payment of your account, they are charged daily to your SeaPass card.

 

You can opt out of this option through guest services and pay them in cash at the end to your wait staff and stateroom attendant if preferred. IMO, I prefer to have them prepaid or automatically charged and then add more in cash at my discretion on the last night.

[Keith1010]

We always pay at or towards the end.

 

Keith

[jammen]

I like to pay at the end with a CC, & I add extra through the cruise, for extra service received.

[donaldsc]

Doesn't make a real difference either way except that I do not like the idea of giving RCCL a short term no-interest loan.

 

DON

[leaveitallbehind]

Doesn't make a real difference either way except that I do not like the idea of giving RCCL a short term no-interest loan.

 

DON

 

But unfortunately with RCI and MTD, the prepay is your only option. However, that is the only time that is required. The standard method is daily billing to your SeaPass account.

[DonnaK]

We are frequent Royal Caribbean cruisers.

 

We do not select My Time Dining, so we are not required to prepay gratuities.

 

We select Traditional Dining, and we leave the daily gratuity charge on our onboard account, so it is billed to our credit card in the end

 

We do not usually tip anything additional, unless someone does something really over and above the normal expectations of their job.